Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds
by Bunny'sWinterRose
Summary: A Swat Kats/Marvel Crossover that continues my storyline from "For A Chance". Jennifer returns to witness a shocking and unexpected event in MegaKat City. Chance/T-Bone/OC. Please R&R! I don't own anything but my OC Jennifer.


Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds

_A Swat Kats/Marvel Crossover that continues my storyline from "For A Chance". Jennifer returns to witness a shocking and unexpected event in MegaKat City. Chance/T-Bone/OC. Please R&R!_

Chapter 1

As I stepped through the portal the familiar sights and smells of MegaKat City welcomed me back again. This was as much my home as the world I came from with friends, family and a tom that I loved like no other.

Chance Furlong and I had been together now for almost three years. We'd had good and bad times, the stresses of our lifestyles and commitments never seemed to make our relationship any easier. I traveled between dimensions, devoting time to this world and my own as my family and friends need me.

As I walked towards the closed garage the seriousness of my return came back to me. I'd been gone nearly six weeks, twice what I had promised and even though Chance and Jake had a converter as well, I had not been come after. My mind wondered back to our fight as I reached for the door knob.

Flashback

Standing in our bedroom packing to return to the human world, I heard the trapdoor that led to the hanger close and Chance make his way upstairs. I could hear Jake as he began making something to eat in the kitchen.

A heavy sigh turned my attention to the sweat and dirt covered tom I had come to love and recognize as my mate stood. Smiling I moved in front of him and he bent to kiss me, but would not embrace me as he looked over at our bed and my opened suitcase. "Going again? You just got back two weeks ago."

Without waiting for me to answer he shook his head and walked from the room, into the bathroom just down the hall. I followed him and shut the door behind us as he striped the dirty cloths away and moved into the shower. He refused to meet my eyes as he closed the glass doors and stepped beneath the water.

Sighing I sat upon the closed toilet seat and watched him a minute before breaking the silence. "Hotshot, you know how much I love being home with you but I have to be fair to everyone. We discussed the mutant conference when I got back and you said you understood my need to be there. We're so close to having acceptance for mutants no matter what their appearance or skills may be. If this passes not only would the people I care about be able to have full lives but everyone could. You and Jake could come into my world without any worry of being seen and attacked."

Watching his reaction, he never interrupted but did stiffen as I mentioned "my world" and he turned off the water and dried without opening the doors. When he finally stepped from the shower he had a frown on his handsome face. "That's just the problem though. In the last three years you've spent more time there then here. I'm tired of waiting on your return and never know if you're even coming back. I thought this was going to be equal time or at least a bit more here?"

I watched as he sighed again and walked back towards our room. I was speechless for a moment and had not yet moved. 'He had the right to be tried, I have been gone a lot but I thought he respected my role in the mutant world? All this was to benefit our lives too.'

Standing I followed him into our bedroom and found him sitting on the bed, his expression lost. "Chance, I'm sorry the trips have taken so long. I don't like being away any more that you like being without me but I can't just ignore this. It effects my loved ones too much."

Nodding he held a hand out to me and the pulled to sit me straddled in his lap. "I know, the stress of everything just gets to me after a while." He large paws held my face and our eyes met. "Forgive me?"

Smiling I moved until we were only a breath away. "Like you have to ask Hotshot." Our lips had just touched when the alarm sounded around the entire house and Jake's voice could be heard answering the call.

We both sighed as we pulled away and Chance rubbed his eyes. "Duty calls." Standing and pressing a quick kiss to my lips he moved towards the door. "Are you leaving now?"

I pained me to see him so upset and I moved to meet him at the door. "The sooner I get there and invest my time into the planning the sooner it's over and I can come home." Standing on tiptoes I kissed him deeply and pushed him towards the stairs. "Watch each other's tails and I'll be back in no more than three weeks."

I watched the light drain from his eyes at that and he nodded before turning around and heading down the stairs. The trapdoor wined his he pulled it open and pain filled my heart. It would be a lonely three weeks for us both. Moving to the stairs I could see him pulling the door closed and I yelled. "I love you Chance."

The door stopped moving for a moment and I waited, finally his reply came and then the door shut. His reply broke my heart. "Yeah, me too."

End Flashback

Chapter 2

The house itself was as I thought, slightly messy from the lifestyles of two unmarried toms. Chance had left sports and trash magazines out on the table in the living room and the kitchen had been left in disorder by the both of them.

Shaking my head I moved to the trapdoor and lifted it by the handle. The hanger was dark and I could tell that they had left in a hurry as I moved down. Their jumpsuits were left in the floor and lockers were hanging open. That's when a thought hit me. 'I should ride into town and surprise them. Chance would have to keep his hands to himself as "T-Bone" and be more than ready to make up once we'd returned home.'

Twenty minutes later I had left the junk yard and rode my bike into the city. There was no doubt in my mind where the two heroes would be, the whole city was abuzz with joy over their latest victory. Parking my bike while within sight of the crowd that led to the 'TurboKat' I moved through the endless sea of kats to where I could see Commander Feral standing.

Coming up behind the tall tom, I tapped him on the shoulder to draw his attention. He turned and graced me with a huge smile that matched the embrace he pulled us into. "Welcome home Jennifer."

Returning his smile I stepped back once he released me and looked just past him at the destruction. "What happened here Commander?"

Without looking at the mess the city was in, meet my glaze and shrugged. "The Past-Master was up to it again but he's in holding now and won't be causing trouble again for a long time."

Nodding I looked towards the jet, my eyes searching for T-Bone. Before I could voice my question his hand fell on my shoulder. "He's around the front, having a gash looked at I believe."

I met his eyes and could tell that he knew something he was not telling. "Ulysses, there's something you're not telling me?"

His eyes betrayed him and after a moment he sighed. "You two should talk, he's been upset the length of your absence and that's all I'll say."

Nodding I met his eyes, kissed his check and regarded him softly. "Thank you, we had a disagreement before I left and didn't have time to resolve it, but we will."

Leaving him I moved towards the front of our jet and could hear Chance and a she-kat I could only assume was the EMT speaking. "It's not that bad Kelly, I'm fine. I promise."

My eyes widened at his tone, it was more Chance than T-Bone, and usually reserved for me. Now standing within distance to see and hear them I watched as her paw moved to his arm. "It's bad enough Hotshot. I'm just worried, don't want my favorite hero hurt and suffering on the job."

He smiled and removed her paw from his arm, but instead of releasing her he held it and pulled her to stand closer. "Well with a beautiful medic like you always looking over me a few bumps and cuts are a small price to pay."

My heart was breaking as I watched her step closer and press a small kiss to his mouth as he made no move to deter her. Finding my nerve I moved to stand just to his left and cleared my throat.

Chapter 3

T-Bone jumped and turned to face me, his eyes wide under his mask. "Jen, I mean Ms. Howlette. How long have you been back in MegaKat?"

Knowing he was trying to save his role, I smiled and played my part. "Just an hour or so ago. Thought I'd come congratulate Razor and yourself on another victory. That's a nasty gash." I turned to the EMT. "You do nice work."

He glanced at his arm and then back to me. "Yeah, ah this is Kelly Thomson. Kell this is our friend Jennifer Howlette."

She extended her paw and I shook it. "It's nice to meet you, T-Bone's told me so much about you."

Smiling I met her eye, knowing that T-Bone's were glued to me. "We've become close and I've loved being around both of them. They were my heroes when the portal opened and I fell into this world."

"T-Bone ready to get…" We met Razor's wide eyes as he took in the sight of me. "Jennifer, I'm so glad to see you, it's been too long." He moved and wrapped me in a hug.

I returned his hug and he whispered where the other two wouldn't hear him. "Don't know what you saw but I'm sorry." As we pulled away he graced me with a smile and nodded towards the jet. "We should get going, want a ride?"

I could see Kelly's eyes widen from beside T-Bone and she lightly touched his arm, I shook my head. "Not this time Razor but thank you, my bike is parked just a few blocks back and it's too good a day not to enjoy it."

He nodded and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he turned us from the jet and led me away, just before making a commit that would drive T-Bone crazy. "Okay, I understand, don't want to sit in my lap today, be that way."

Without saying goodbye to T-Bone and Kelly he led me down the now less busy street to where the bike waited. As we walked his arm around me tightened and he sighed. "What did you walk in on?"

Now standing at my bike I turned and faced him before making sure we weren't being listened to. "Enough, what do you know?"

He sighed and his shoulders dropped. "Not much, he's missed you something awful and been getting bumped up. Kelly's been making an effort to see after us for the past few weeks. All I know is they've gotten closer, but I don't think they've…"

"Kissed, maybe not before today but I saw her kiss him, and he didn't do a thing to stop it." Anger had filled my eyes and I could tell that Razor was angry as well.

I moved to sit on the bike just was the jet hovered over us. He motioned for T-Bone to drop the ladder before turning his attention back to me. "Be seeing you?"

Nodding, I turned the bike around on its back wheel and sped away without looking up at T-Bone.

Chapter 4

I entered the yard thirty minutes later to find Jake in the garage working under a rusty old car. Though I knew he had heard and seen my feet he waited for me to speak, so I tapped his foot with my own and he slide from the car. "Where is he?"

He sighed and stood. "He's in the house, upstairs I think. After the earful I gave on the way back in I requested some space. I still just can't believe he'd…"

I held up a hand to him and he stopped but stared at me with big apologetic eyes. "We'd been fighting about my time away for a while and I am double what I promised getting back. It's not an excuse but maybe this shows us it was just time."

As I moved past his nodding form and began to climb the steps into what I was sure would be our last disagreement Jake's sad voice reached me. "I'm so sorry Jen. Do you still love him?"

Pausing with my hand on the knob I turned back to the tom I loved like both my brothers. "Yes, and so am I."

I found Chance on the bed, hunched over in what was still for the moment our room. I stepped inside and closed the door, light from the far window lighting the room enough to see by. As I leaned against the door his eyes met mine and I could see the tears he had been crying. After a few minutes he finally spoke. "Jen I…I'm…crud I don't even know where to start. Jake hates me, you've got the right to hate me."

His head dropped and he stared at the floor as we both tried to make since of what we had gotten into. "I'm sorry the trip took so long Chance, it didn't go the way I intended." He nodded and I continued. "I need to know, how long have you been flirting with her as T-Bone?"

He sighed and shook his head, running figures through the fur between his ears. "Three weeks. I don't know why I start flirting back with her, in my head I guess I was just keeping the role up but as missions came up and she was there we just took it further until today when…"

My heart broke. 'Three weeks? Just as I was meant to be back?' I sighed and sank in the floor. "So what now? Do we try to fix it or is it time to face this?"

He stood and paced for a few minutes before offering his paw and pulling me back to my feet. "I'm the heel that ruined this, tell me what your heart's wanting and I'll try and fulfill it."

Staring at him now face to face I knew that our time was closing, it just wasn't there anymore. He was willing to make it work but would he ever really be happy? I had to know. "Do you remember when I yelled 'I love you' from the stairs?" He nodded but didn't say a word. "You answered me with something other than that. Do you remember?"

He sighed and fought the tears that threatened to fall. "Yeah, I said 'yeah me too'."

Stepping back from him now, we were both crying, our tears falling to the floor. He watched as I reached for his mother's pearls and removed them from my neck. With shaky paws he took them. "These should go to the she-kat you intend to spend the rest of your life with."

Chapter 5

Three hours later I stood in the yard with Jake and watched as Logan took most of my belongings back through the portal. I had make a quick trip for a dolly and he had returned with me to help, all that remained was my bike and myself.

I wrapped Jake in a tight hug and he shook as tears over took him. "This isn't goodbye is it?

Hugging him tighter I rubbed his back and prayed that I'd be able to keep the promise I was about to make. "Of course not. There are converters on both sides and I'll be around to visit. Don't forget yours is set to open in the schools south yard so anytime you want to jump over, come on."

We heard the door to the house open and close and Chance stepped outside to join us. Jake leaned back and kissed my forehead before moving aside so Chance could take his place.

Standing in front of me now, I could see the pain in his blood shot eyes. I doubted he had stopped crying at all this afternoon. His large paws rose and rubbed my arms as he stood just inches from me. "Crud, this hurts like hell."

Nodding I reached for him and pulled us into a warm hug. "Time heals all wounds."

His body shook and he leaned into me. "Not this one." As we moved to step back our eyes locked and we leaned into a sweet kiss that neither of us had planned.

After we separated he stepped back and watched as I mounted the bike. Jake was standing nearby and blew him a kiss before looking back at Chance once more then I started the bike and rode through the portal, as it closed behind me.


End file.
